Colostomy apparatus



I Oct. 2,' 1945*.. G. MoRHl-:AD v 2,385,876

COLOSTOIIY APPARATUS Filed Jan. 13,- 1944 Gmmrs MooRnE/m Patented Oct. 2, 1945 A' UNITED-1f STATES PATENT 09F-FICE .Application January 13, 1944, Serial-N0. 5.183183- InCanada N ovembery1943 l (Cl. ias-283) 16 Claims,

'I-'his present invention relates to improvements in a colostomy-apparatus and appertains particularly to an-irrigation aprondesigned to simplify and minimize `the inconvenience of the enema or' irrigation that must be done daily following a l colostomy operation.

An vobject `offtheinvention is to provide a colostomy irrigation devicethat is entirely safe, affording secure coveringrfto the person when conveying` the return ilow ito the toilet, andi` thorioug-hlylsanitary.

Afurt-her object-ofthe invention istoprovide an irrigation-shield wherein .the return ilow is open to observation1 thus enablingrthe success of the procedure to-be determined withcertainty.

A further :object of i the invention is-k to-provide an irrigation apron that may be simply and quicklyapplied .andiwillbecomfortable l to use. v A further object ofthe-invention isrto provide a colostomy irrigation apronthat vis vlight weight, smallin size and. compact' to carry orA storeaway when not invuse.

A` stilll further object of the invention is :the provision of a devicev ,ofY thenature-and for the purpose described thatfis'characterizedvby structuraly simplicity, durability and refilciency and beingcapable ofproductionandsale at a reason.- able cost is therebyfrendered commercially :de-

sirable.

To the laccomplishment of'these-and related objects .as shall become apparent as the descrip,- tionf'proceeds,thefinventionvresides in the construction, combination andy arrangement vof parts asshall be `hereinafter `moreiiullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying ,drawing .and pointed: outY inthe claims. hereunto. appended.

`.The invention willbebestl understoodand can be moreclearly describedwhenV reference is had to thedrawing lforming 2a part of thisl disclosure wherein. like characters indicate like parts throughout theseveral views.

In thevdrawing: I

Figure 1V f is.` an illustration vof my yapparatus as applied tofthe bodyoff a patient; and'v Figuren2fis-an I'elevation of the apron, in open position.

After a colostomy operation that establishes a new route from the bowels through an opening in the abdominal wall, serving as an artificial anus, great inconvenience, discomfort, embarrassment and derangement of the normal life of the individual may result unless certain welldeiined routine is faithfully followed every day. Under approved current medical practice the bowels are evacuated once-a-day through the permanent orice or cicatrix` bythe use of van enema ofsoap .suds. Ifztlle procedure be com; plete, the openingl can then be covered with a light. dressing for vapproximate,1y 24 hours. Should :the irrigation. not prove entirely-satis# factory, resort ,should be :had to a secondgenenia otherwisefurther uncontrolled j evacuations. "may occur throughthe day, For this reason itlvis well that. the results t of; the procedure should besubject to observation.

With my improved apparatus, the MY00L?stoiny patients irrigation. dilcultiesy are. reduced to the minimum, the; return ilow while observable is conveyed A without possibility of accident and the shield-isfso light'andveasy to usci-and simpleto clean.V y

My colostomy apparatus is essentlallynayflOW tube, possibly made-,of a single piece, having a lateral opening .onits innerside near the upper end. andprovided Awith attaching means to en; gage thefbod-y ofthe usen For ease in manufacture, it seems desirable for the preentthat the instant shield ,consist of a 2-ply.Y apron of -impermeable material attached to-,-:the .b0dy; offthe wearer overthelocation of the abdominal opening bysu-table body-encircling bands. Ilhe 1nnen ply of the apron hasy a, perforation designed 15o-register with and receive the cicatrx while the outer ply or layer, joined to it along opposite .vertical edges though preferably disconnectablefat leastalpngpart of one sidesfrom theinner ply, has noneandvtosether .these inner and. outer layers provide a; receptacle or passage intowhich the return y flow orr the irrigation, empties.

The ,hereindescribed and preferred embodiment of the invention shows the irrigation apron as ,consisting of Van elongated slightly tapered, inner or body-engaging shield 5 of suitableimpervious material, .suchfas sheet rubber, rubberired` jfabric, coiled; silk orthe like, with the upper 2/5 reinforced'witha second thickness 6. Through; thisdoumestrensth top Ta fwindow or opening 'il' -is provided which vis-to v:receive the abdominal Yopening and-since these may vary in size, l2 surroundY such Window. 1 with a .number of concentric rows of stitching 8, connecting the two layers, so that it may be enlarged to any required size by simply cutting with scissors beas illustrative fand not in Y #Having thus single thickness throughout but is preferably onL v v substantially greater Width. A reinforcing finishing tape VI3 runs across the top edgeA of both.'-

inner and outer shields 5 and lrIrl respectively and, on their free or outer edges, both layers or shields and lcn

Y stitched thereto alongone vertical edge l2, fol-V fifths of the inner panel to reinforce the saine,v

the double-thickness upper part of the inner panel having an opening therein, and -body attaching means comprising a pair of vertically spaced body encircling bands connected to Yopposite sides of the double-thickness upper part of said inner panel. Y

2. A colostomy irrigation apron comprising a body-engaging inner shield, the upper pant of which is VreinforcedWith a secondjlayer of mate- Y nectingfv/ith said inner shield along opposite verare provided with the complementary parts Illa, I

Mb respectively of a separable fastener.VVV

While theV two shields could be permanently Y stitched part way up from therbottom, and any desiredtype of separable fastener 'could be used to connect-fthe lupper portion oftheir free edges,

Iprefertouse'an open Zipper-type fastener since V-it-affordsl 'a f continuoufs'l, closure for theV entire height as Well as allowing the apron toloe opened out-for thorough cleansing. Because the` outer' shield'i's -Wider it normally assumesa position spacedfoutwardly from the lunderlyingone and a drain tubeorpassageway isthereby formed. In use, after the apron has been applied With the'open-ing 'l cut'to the proper size .andY arrangedf'tov-'surround the abdominal opening, the

e zipperisf opened part Way dQWnfrthe free side jand-acatheter, on the .endjofa tubegfrom an enema cani, v"is-'introduced into the` colostomy opening. ',When the catheter is withdrawn. and the-apronzipped to the top, the return iiow pours v into the apron and is conductedto theY toilet 4 boWl" 11T-lie'v evacuation continues for some time. but if the procedure has beencomplete, the apron mayberemoved and the opening covered with tical sides and a'pairrof vertically spaced body encircling bands connecting with opposite sides i of said inner shield at the top and approximately inline with ysaid opening, respectively.

3. YA colostomy irrigation apron of impermeable Y `fabric-like material comprising a body-engaging tapered inner lshield, the 'Wider upper part of which isreinforced'with as econd layerof material, an opening through said double-layer upper part,u concentricrows ofvstitching' joining both layers around said opening, av-substantially'wider rland similarly tapered -superposing outer shield attached to said innershiel'd along onejvertical Y side, alpair'of 'vertically spaced .body encircling bands connecting Vvvith'opposite sides ofthe reinforcedupper portion of said inner shield at4 the Vtop and approximately in line Withgsaidgopening,

respectively,` and the complementary stringersof anzopen, zipper-type fastener on the-freevertical edges of said innerand outer shields. .ff Y

.4.v A colostomy irrigationvshield comprising-an `inner paneland' anouter panel,` said puter panel Y1'.liromtheforegomg description-taken in connectionzwiththeaccompanying drawing, it Will bemanifest that a colostomy apparatus is pro- Vvi'cfiedethati vvill Yfulfill all'lthe necessary require-V ments ef such a device butfas' many! changes Y could bef-made inthe above description andmany apparently -Y widely different embodiments .of the 'e inventioremay Ybe constructedwithin the scople 'of @the appended claims Without departing from the-'spirit or'scope thereof, it i'svintended thatv all matters V contained inthe; Vsaid accompanying specification and 'drawingV shall be interpreted a limitative or restrictivejsense.- "Y described my frinvention, what I claim asnewis: i Y

--lvl.'A colostomy irrigation apronVv comprising a laterally disposed fpairxof panels of impervious material. lconnected along -their VVopposite vertical edgesndfr'e'e acrossth'e bottomwith the outer panel-' substantially Wider `than the inner panel 'second layer of material covering the upper tWobeing imperforate and xedly attachedftoj the inner panel lalong .-one side; edge, theotherside edgeV being 'connected'to the corresponding `opposite side edge of g the inner panelby means of areadily detachable substantially leak-proof con.

nection in its closed condition ,with both ends.

of the shield open,and the :inner jpanel.r having anv opening rdesigned Yto` register with "and receive ,thecicatrix of the patient Vsojthatlvvhen the detachable :connection is'atleast partiallyreleased to expose vthe opening yalcatheter maybe readily Y insert'ed'directly intotheicicatrix.

eo Y

wardiy for about two-fifths of the. length of theY panel, the said opening being:inslth'eireinforced Y Yto providera free passageway or drain Atube,` a Y 5. Arcoiostomy irrigation shield asfrcited inY and Vby ,claim 4 `and including', areinforcement for the upper part of the inner panelinY the .form` ofa second layer of materialfthe-saidzopeningY beinginf the reinforced uppe'rrpart Vof thev inner panel, and 'means for: attachingfzsaid shield to a persons body. f

6." Aycolostomy. irrigation .vsliield .as 'recited Y. andIbyblaim VLland including; a reinforcement Y forlthe upper'part .ofthe inner panel in the form.

offa second layer kof material 'extending fromr side to side of said lpanel ,and [ext'endingmdown-Y upper part ofthe inner paneL-landt means for attaching said shield tofacperson-sbodyg`. i. Y

- i n 'I 41. GLADYS MooRrIitulD;Y

rial, an opening through said double layer upper e Ipart,V concentric roWs ofY stitching joining both layers around said opening, an outer shield con- 

